Toronto’s back-sliding Blue Jays go from big buzz to big zzzz

All those moves last winter, but a catcher turned out to be a key missing piece

It was that kind of season for underachieving catcher J.P. Arencibia. One of the scapegoats for the Jays' poor 2013 season, Arencibia was not tendered a contract for next year and is a free agent.

Photograph by: The Associated Press file
, Postmedia News

The Toronto Blue Jays are a year removed from creating a big buzz in baseball circles with a pair of blockbuster trades that labelled them as certified contenders for 2013.

Pity they forgot about the importance of catching while seeming to overpay in deals with the Miami Marlins and New York Mets for essentially mediocre pitching help.

Cue to this off-season where the Jays are doing more subtraction than addition, despite finishing a miserable seven games below .500 in 2013. They have an owner with 5.2 billion reasons suddenly to be distracted by hockey, and the ball team has succeeded so far only in playing musical catchers.

Here is where the Jays stand this off-season with baseball’s annual winter meetings set for next week at Disney World in Florida. No Mickey Mouse jokes yet, please, we’ll give Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos a chance to redeem himself first:

They have allowed starting pitcher Josh Johnson to walk away. He was a key acquisition in the 12-player trade last year with Florida.

They have essentially released catcher J.P. Arencibia after determining in trade talks that nobody else wanted him either.

They have signed free agent catcher Dioner Navarro to a two-year, $8-million contract. Anthopoulos indicated Tuesday the 29-year-old has been pencilled in as the first-stringer with soft-hitting backup Josh Thole returning as knuckleballer R.A. Dickey’s personal catcher. The news will not set off a stampede at the box office. Navarro hasn’t been a first-string catcher since Tampa Bay, 2007-09.

Catchers the Jays have dumped since 2010:

Jeff Mathis, who had a strong season as a backup in 2012, was included in the 12-man trade with the Marlins.

John Buck, who hit .281 with 20 homers and 66 RBI with the Jays in 2010, was reacquired in 2012 from the Marlins but then was packaged to the Mets in the Dickey-Thole deal.

Yan Gomes, who provided a solid bat mainly as a third baseman in 2012, was traded to Cleveland that November and emerged as a star behind the plate in 2013, hitting .294 with 11 homers and 38 RBI.

Jose Molina, a good all-round contributor in 2010 and 2011, was still sound at 38 in Tampa Bay last season and has signed a two-year deal to return to the Rays.

Travis d’Arnaud, who was dealt along with pitcher Noah Syndergaard as part of the Dickey-Thole trade in 2012. They are now the Mets’ top two prospects.

J.P.Arencibia, who struggled at the plate and behind it for most of the 2013 season. The Jays decided this week not to tender him a contract.

Free-agent catchers who have signed elsewhere:

Brian McCann, with Yankees, five years, $85 million

Jose Molina, re-signs with Tampa, two years, $4.5 million

Brayan Pena, with Cincinnati, two years, $2.275 million

A.J. Pierzynski, with Boston, one year, $8.25 million

Carlos Ruiz, re-signs with Philadelphia, three years, $26 million

Geovany Soto, re-signs with Texas, one year, $3.05 million

Free agent catchers still available

John Buck, Pittsburgh, could be headed back to Mets as a backup

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Boston, has an offer from Miami to complement Jeff Mathis

Utility man Emilio Bonifacio, ,28, was traded to Kansas City for a player to be named or cash. Catcher John Buck, 33, was traded to the Mets and Josh Johnson, 29, has signed with San Diego as a free agent.

The Jays gave up top prospects catcher Travis d’Arnaud, 24, and pitcher Noah Syndergaard, 21, in the seven-player deal. D’Arnaud is expected to be the Mets’ first-string catcher in 2014 after being slowed by injuries in 2013. Syndergaard is a candidate to make the pitching rotation. Outfielder Wuilmer Becerra is a 19-year outfield prospect now in the Mets chain, while catcher John Buck, 33, was traded to Pittsburgh and now is a free agent.

Blue Jays speculation

There is rumoured interest in Oakland left-hander Brett Anderson, 25, who struggled with injuries in 2013.

Should the Chicago Cubs decide to trade right-hander Jeff Samardzija, 29, the Jays are one of several teams interested.

Talk has faded about the Jays trading left-hander Buehrle, but not regarding fellow lefty J.A. Happ.

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